Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (Aguirre, the Wrath of God) poster & wallpaper
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Klaus Kinski, Cecilia Rivera, Ruy Guerra, Helena Rojo, Del Negro ... see more see more... , Peter Berling , Daniel Zacapa , Dan Ades

The most famed and well-regarded collaboration between New German Cinema director Werner Herzog and his frequent leading man, Klaus Kinski, this epic historical drama was legendary for the arduousness... read more read more... of its on-location filming and the convincing zealous obsession employed by Kinski in playing the title role. Exhausted and near to admitting failure in its quest for riches, the 1650-51 expedition of Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Pizarro (Alejandro Repulles) bogs down in the impenetrable jungles of Peru. As a last-ditch effort to locate treasure, Pizarro orders a party to scout ahead for signs of El Dorado, the fabled seven cities of gold. In command are a trio of nobles, Pedro de Ursua (Ruy Guerra), Fernando de Guzman (Peter Berling), and Lope de Aguirre (Kinski). Traveling by river raft, the explorers are besieged by hostile natives, disease, starvation and treacherous waters. Crazed with greed and mad with power, Aguirre takes over the enterprise, slaughtering any that oppose him. Nature and Aguirre's own unquenchable thirst for glory ultimately render him insane, in charge of nothing but a raft of corpses and chattering monkeys. Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1973) was based on the real-life journals of a priest, Brother Gaspar de Carvajal (played in the film by Del Negro), who accompanied Pizarro on his ill-fated mission. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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90% liked it

22,142 ratings

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97% liked it

32 critics

R, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Werner Herzog

Release Date: December 29, 1972

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DVD Release Date: October 24, 2000

Stats: 1,617 reviews

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Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes Aguirre enjoy the music Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (Aguirre, the Wrath of God) Aguirre and his daughter Helmet-Klaus Don Lope de Aguirre Aguirre and Pizarro Klaus Kinski... the search party Final scene Aguirre Aguirre and his daughter the descent Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (Aguirre, the Wrath of God) Helena Rojo
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Flixster Reviews (1,617)

  • brooklynspo
    July 4, 2007
    brooklynspo
    I've seen it but I've never REALLY seen it.
  • sononothing
    April 26, 2011
    sononothing
    Deep in South American jungle there's something afoot. A splinter group from Pizzaro's expedition is sent to find El Dorado, the legendary city of gold. This group is steeped in Christianity as they spread it throughout the new land and the natives that inhabit it. It's like a tr... read moreade in a way: We'll give you Christ if you give us the gold. As the film progresses and the group heads further into the jungle everything begins to fall apart as the natives become more and more restless and Aguirre (Klaus Kinski) develops the obsession of being the next Cortez.

    Aguirre lends itself to so many films that came after it, particularly Apocalypse Now. The basic premise between the two films is the same. A mission on a boat slowly falls into total chaos. Just like the characters on screen, we have no idea what's around the bend in the river ahead. With Aguirre, there are two things that make it such a great movie. The first is Werner Herzog's direction. All great directors use the environment and the background as another character in their film. Herzog accomplishes this by making shots seem so beautiful and so sinister at the same time. What lies in the trees over there? Herzog gets into the soul of the jungle right along with the souls of the characters.

    Of course when we talk about characters we have to discuss the second part of the Aguirre equation and that is Klaus Kinski. He is that desire, that rage, that cut throat individual that will advance to his goal no matter what the cost. He surveys the land like a god looking over his domain. He will start is own empire, even when things are at their darkest. In a way Aguirre and Kinski are bound by their identities. They're the same person in the end.

    Aguirre is one of those films that people stumble upon. A story that doesn't sound like much on the surface becomes an imaginative journey into the unknown. A story that is universal in nature, Aguirre is a great piece of German cinema.
  • cosmo313
    January 10, 2011
    cosmo313
    This film is just full of tension and a creepy, unsettling mood for the entirety of its running time. This is also one of Herzog's most visually stunning, engrossing, and haunting films. The film also boasts one of Klaus Kinski's finest performances. All around, one of the most p... read moreerfect and greatest films ever made.
  • mjgildea
    August 29, 2010
    mjgildea
    Aguirre, the Wrath of God was definitely some incredibly powerful filmmaking but not worthy of the 5-star reviews everyone's throwing it. Werner Herzog's pseudo-documentary directorial style (this was my second movie of his I've seen) plunges his audience straight into the madnes... read mores and Klaus Kinski keeps you there. For as great as Aguirre was, thankfully Herzog and company let you off the hook after an hour and a half. I got a real Apocalypse Now vibe off this movie despite the fact this came out several years beforehand.
  • arashxak
    November 27, 2009
    arashxak
    No doubt about its greatness but man the ending is truly haunting & it is what turns Aguirre from a great film into an unforgettable masterpiece
  • SirPant
    September 30, 2009
    SirPant
    One of the greatest films ever made, Herzog's behind the camera and Kinski in front, it was always going to be good but this film has influenced a whole parade of fantastic films but has never been matched in greatness. The quintessential tale of power, greed and madness. My crap... read more little review doesn't do it justice.
  • ebs90
    September 8, 2009
    ebs90

    Aguirre: The Wrath of God was directed by the fearless Werner Herzog. He embarked on a production/adventure in the Amazon jungle to film an episode of Don Lope de Aguirre's eventful life.


    Aguirre is shown as part of a Conquistador's crew. After many days in the rainfo

    ... read morerest, he tires of being ordered about and decides on becoming the leader of the expedition. No one protests; he is sly, skillful and ruthless. He creates an imaginary Kingdom in those lands ("El Dorado"), names one of the crew members King, and takes his men -and his daughter- upriver, to the conquest of the rest of the jungle.

    The film is masterfully developed, building up moments of tension and release until the haunting ending. Throughout, the uncertainty is unbearable. The key here, I believe, is Herzog's treatment of silence, facial expressions, and time. This story about a madman in the jungle becomes monumental Nothing happens for a long stretch, and then a rebellion, a gunfight, a hallucination... The characters are mostly quiet, silenced by Aguirre's own threatening stillness, but Herzog's close-ups of their faces suggest thoughts, plans, schemes, desires. Many of them don't know why they're there (both in the film and in real life).


    The cinematography is bewildering and, as Herzog said himself, the jungle acts as a psychological mirror for the characters: their minds are cluttered, dense, and increasingly menacing towards each other as they sail deeper. Dialog is very scarce, but often memorable. One of the director's trademarks, besides the realism of his filmmaking, sometimes so honest that it seems obvious, is his choice of supporting actors: he picked several non-actors who give a fascinating air to the film and take the "documentary" feel even further. When they talk, they seem to be addressing you.


    The most obvious standout is Klaus Kinski's terrifying performance as the Wrath of God: brooding and collected like a criminal on death row planning a breakout. He seldom speaks. Kinski acts with his walk and his face. When he talks, the jungle goes silent, and the cast gets nervous. This is one of the greatest actors I've ever seen. He had everyone, even Herzog, on the edge of their seat. The true story behind this painful shoot is only coherent with the powerful performance. Together, actor and director seemed to reach a perfect understanding. They admired each other even if they didn't admit it then. If they hadn't, Aguirre would have never succeeded.
  • DragonEyeMorrison
    August 16, 2009
    DragonEyeMorrison
    Right from it's impressive opening shot, Herzog's minimalistic masterpiece wastes no time to get things going. A dommed expedition searching for el Dorado shows the most nasty side of human greed. No over the top scenes, dumb "climax" or other pointless stuff that other movies wo... read moreuld rush to do. Everything here comes slowly: the lack of food, the killing from always present but hardly seeing locals in the forest. Kinski's cold stare pierces your soul in ways few actors in the world could ever do. The final sequence with the monkeys, and Kinski as the last mand standing in this mindless quest is pure cinematic poetry.
  • RCCLBC
    June 19, 2009
    RCCLBC
    A film that is subtle, quiet and racked with tension.

    Few people can capture the essence of obsessive compulsive behavior and (ultimately) total madness like Werner Herzog. And he does it in a way that (at times) can almost feel like a documentary. At least from a visual ... read morestandpoint.

    Having said that, few people can play obsessive compulsive and/or mad quite like Klaus Kinski. Though with Klaus, I tend to doubt that these characteristics were much of a challenge for him to bring to the screen.

    While the stories of their shoots together are the stuff of (film shoot hell) "legend", the end result was usually a masterpiece in one sense or another. This film is no exception and could not be made today with the same powerful realism. With the exception of the horribly fake 70's "special effects" blood. of course.

    I would love to hear his (real life) daughter Nastassja Kinski recount of this shoot. She plays a small role as Aguirre's daughter in the film.
  • puffchunk
    April 17, 2009
    puffchunk
    Just wasn't that interesting to me. I did like that I was watching a movie about Spaniards speaking German with English subtitles.

View All Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (Aguirre, the Wrath of God) Reviews

Critic Reviews

J. Hoberman
October 17, 2006
J. Hoberman, Village Voice

Aguirre, Wrath of God is not just a great movie but an essential one. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

This is a splendid and haunting work.

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

One of the great haunting visions of the cinema. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
June 22, 2011
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

A visionary work, Aguirre is one of Herzog's greatest achievements. Full Review

Fernando F. Croce
September 24, 2010
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

An essential hallucination, subsequently mined by Coppola, Weir and Malick but unsurpassed in its vision of the withering yet liberating madness beneath our armor Full Review

Christopher Lloyd
September 6, 2010
Christopher Lloyd, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

This 1972 German film eschews narrative for hallucinatory images and long takes that plunge you into the whirlpool of the main character's madness. It's less storytelling than a visually disturbing fe... Full Review

Rob Gonsalves
April 9, 2007
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com

Potheads who watch this will probably check their stash the next morning to see if any of it's gone. Full Review

Dan Jardine
October 20, 2006
Dan Jardine, Cinemania

A seminal film without which we almost cerainly would not have with us either Apocalypse Now or much of the ouevre of Terence Malick. Full Review

Nick Schager
October 3, 2006
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

A saga of adventurers driven headlong into annihilation by their own hubris and desire for immortality. Full Review

Kevin N. Laforest
July 8, 2006
Kevin N. Laforest, Montreal Film Journal

One of the best films ever made. Full Review

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